Ophichthidae is a family of fish in the order Anguilliformes, commonly known as the snake eels. The term "Ophichthidae" comes from Greek ophis ("serpent") and ichthys ("fish"). Snake eels are also burrowing eels. They are named for their physical appearance, as they have long, cylindrical, snake-like bodies. This family is found worldwide in tropical to warm temperate waters. They inhabit a wide range of habitats, from coastal shallows and even rivers, to depths below 800 m (2,600 ft). Most species are bottom dwellers, hiding in mud or sand to capture their prey of crustaceans and small fish, but some are pelagic.
Muraenichthys is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae.
Schultzidia is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. The name of this genus honors American ichthyologist Leonard Peter Schultz (1901-1986), one of the describers of the type species, Muraenichthys johnstonensis. It currently contains the following species:
Scolecenchelys is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae.
The Siboga worm eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Max Carl Wilhelm Weber and Lieven Ferdinand de Beaufort in 1916. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from reefs in Timor and Samoa, in the Pacific Ocean. Males can reach a maximum total length of 13.5 centimetres (5.3 in).
The Thompson's snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by David Starr Jordan and Robert Earl Richardson in 1908. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the western central Pacific Ocean, including Vietnam, Australia, and the Philippines.
The sharpnose worm eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Max Carl Wilhelm Weber and Lieven Ferdinand de Beaufort, originally under the genus Muraenichthys. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from Indonesia, in the western Pacific Ocean. It inhabits sandy areas near reefs. Males can reach a maximum total length of 10 centimetres (3.9 in).
Scolecenchelys aoki, the Misaki worm eel or Japan earthworm conger, is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by David Starr Jordan and John Otterbein Snyder in 1901, originally under the genus Muraenichthys. It is a marine, temperate water-dwelling eel which is known from reefs in Japan, in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Males can reach a maximum total length of 44.8 centimetres (17.6 in).
The shortfinned worm eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by William John Macleay in 1881, originally under the genus Muraenichthys. It is a marine, temperate water-dwelling eel which is known from Australia, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It forms large colonies which inhabit burrows in soft sediments. Males can reach a maximum total length of 40 centimetres (16 in).
Scolecenchelys chilensis is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker in 1970, originally under the genus Muraenichthys. It is a marine, subtropical eel which is known from Desventuradas Island and Juan Fernández Island, in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. It inhabits sand and debris found in between crevices and rocks. Males can reach a maximum standard length of 28.4 centimetres (11.2 in).
Scolecenchelys cookei is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Henry Weed Fowler in 1928, originally under the genus Muraenichthys. It is a marine, temperate water-dwelling eel which is known from Hawaii, in the eastern central Pacific Ocean. It dwells at a depth range of 3 to 5 metres, and inhabits pockets of sand in coral reefs. Males can reach a maximum total length of 15.5 centimetres (6.1 in).
The Godeffroy is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Charles Tate Regan in 1909, originally under the genus Muraenichthys. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the western Pacific Ocean.
The redfin worm-eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by James Douglas Ogilby in 1897, originally under the genus Myropterura. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific and southeastern Atlantic Ocean, including the Red Sea, East and South Africa, Ducie Island, and Lord Howe Island. It dwells at a depth range of 1 to 26 metres, and inhabits lagoons and reefs, forming colonies in sand sediments in confined areas. Males can reach a maximum total length of 35 centimetres (14 in).
The slender snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1857. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific, including East Africa, the Society Islands, the Ryukyu Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef. It dwells at a depth range of 30 to 33 metres, and inhabits sand sediments, tidepools and swamps in mangroves. Males can reach a maximum total length of 25 centimetres (9.8 in).
Nichols's worm eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Edgar Ravenswood Waite in 1904, originally under the genus Muraenichthys.
Scolecenchelys profundorum is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker and Nikolai Vasilyevich Parin in 1995, originally under the genus Muraenichthys. It is a marine, deep water-dwelling eel which is endemic to the Nazca Ridge in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. It is known to dwell at a depth of 310 metres (1,020 ft). Males can reach a maximum total length of 33.4 centimetres (13.1 in).
Scolecenchelys puhioilo is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker in 1979, originally under the genus Muraenichthys. The specific name puhioilo is derived from Hawaiian puhi oilo, which refers to "small eels about as large in diameter as a finger".
The orangehead worm-eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by J.L.B. Smith in 1958, originally under the genus Muraenichthys. It is a marine, subtropical eel which is known from the western Indian Ocean, including South Africa, Réunion, Mauritius and Madagascar. Males can reach a maximum total length of 25 centimetres (9.8 in).
The angry worm eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Peter Henry John Castle and John E. McCosker in 1999. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the eastern Indian and western central Pacific Ocean, including India, Indonesia, the Straits of Malacca, northern Australia, and the Philippines. It is known to inhabit shallow, turbid estuaries, and to a lesser extent the deeper water over soft substrates. Males can reach a maximum total length of 29.6 centimetres.
Myrophinae, the worm eels, is a subfamily of ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Ophichthidae, which also includes the snake eels in the subfamily Ophichthinae.
